Tottenham Hotspur will travel to the south coast to take on Brighton & Hove Albion in a match which Paul Merson believes the visitors should not be losing.
Tottenham Hotspur are looking to remain near the top of the Premier League table, which means a win over Brighton this weekend is necessary. However, Spurs have a mixed record at the AMEX and have been defeated there the past two seasons in this fixture.
Spurs suffered a heavy defeat the last time the two teams met, conceding four goals in the second half. However, it was just days after the Europa League final and was viewed as a secondary fixture.
These days, Tottenham are looking like a much improved side in the Premier League. They have played two away matches so far this season, which resulted in 2-0 and 3-0 victories over Manchester City and West Ham respectively.
Paul Merson predicts a Tottenham draw against Brighton
Paul Merson has mentioned how Spurs have experienced difficulties in recent years when playing away against teams like Brighton. However, he believes this is a match Thomas Frank and his team ought not be losing.
He told Sportskeeda: “Tottenham have had a solid couple of games. I knew they would beat West Ham and credit to them for following that up with a win in the Champions League. It wasn’t the greatest of performances against Villarreal, but they still got the job done and that’s all that matters.
“This is the real acid test for Spurs. If they can go to Brighton and win this game, they can finish in the top five this season. It’s a chance for Tottenham to go out there and show people they aren’t ‘Spursy’.
“I don’t want Tottenham fans to feel like I’m being disrespectful because I’m a former Arsenal player, but they can’t be beating Manchester City and then losing to the likes of Bournemouth and Brighton!
“I think this is a big game and Tottenham have had issues away from home against such teams in the past. I expect a thrilling draw in this one.”
Paul Merson’s prediction: Brighton & Hove Albion 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur
Merson is wrong to disrespect Brighton and Bournemouth
Merson has managed to make a prediction which has the potential to rile up the supporters of Tottenham, Brighton and Bournemouth. He has once again brought up the ‘Spursy’ term to criticise his former rivals for something plenty of other teams do. In fact, it was not so long ago that his old club Arsenal bottled winning the league.
Then there is Brighton and Bournemouth, who both finished in the top half of the Premier League last season. To belittle these teams is really quite arrogant, especially since Brighton have already defeated Manchester City this season, while Bournemouth are fourth in the table.
Spurs will be eager for a victory and failing to record one would be disappointing, but Brighton are a good team and a strong performance will be required.
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